Do you realize the importance of focus and trust on how your day will go? The day is starting and my question for today is where is your focus? Are your priorities aligned with it? Does it contribute to staying on track? Does it bring you peace of mind or trigger stress and anxiety?
Trust, is a key element to all relationships. Where is your trust being put and how is it impacting your focus? Are you putting your trust in God rather than leaning on your own understanding in order to stay on the pathway to peace? Is your trust on or in something else that is shaky and wavering preventing you from having peace and causing you stress and anxiety instead?
Focus on God:
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
This verse encourages believers to focus their trust on God, acknowledging His wisdom and guidance. By relying on God’s understanding rather than our own, we can find peace in knowing that He directs our paths.
Trust in God’s Plan:
Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) - "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you."
This passage highlights the connection between trust and peace. Trusting in God’s character and plan brings about a steadfast mind, leading to perfect peace. It emphasizes the importance of keeping our focus on God to experience true tranquility.
Mind Renewal:
Romans 12:2 (NIV) - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Focusing on God involves renewing our minds according to His principles. This transformation leads to a clearer understanding of God’s will, contributing to inner peace. It underscores the importance of aligning our thoughts with biblical teachings.
Focus and Trust along with the renewing of our minds
In summary, the Bible teaches that focusing on God, trusting in His wisdom and plan, and renewing our minds according to His Word are key components in finding a pathway to peace. Through these principles, believers can experience a deep sense of tranquility and assurance in God’s faithfulness.
Topic: PERFECT PEACE
Verse: Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Focus and Trust as dads:
Therefore, let’s be the dads who keep our focus and trust on God! Moreover, let’s be the dads who desire keeping our lives in perfect peace and hence keep our minds steadfast because of our trust in God! Additionally, let’s consider ways to remain steadfast as dads in order to apply Isaiah 26:3 in our lives.
Here are some practical ways for dads to live out this biblical principle:
Lead by Example:
Demonstrate a steadfast commitment to your faith by consistently living out the principles of love, integrity, and humility in your daily life. Children often learn best by observing their parents.
Prayerful Guidance:
Incorporate prayer into your daily routine, both individually and with your family. Seek God’s guidance and wisdom in decisions, and involve your children in prayer, teaching them the importance of relying on God for direction.
Teach Biblical Values:
Actively engage in teaching your children biblical values and principles. Share stories and lessons from the Bible that emphasize trust in God. Help them understand how these principles apply to various aspects of life.
Encourage Open Communication:
Create an environment where your children feel comfortable discussing their thoughts, concerns, and questions. Offer biblical perspectives during these conversations, guiding them to trust God in all circumstances.
Handle Challenges with Faith:
When facing challenges or difficulties, demonstrate resilience and trust in God’s faithfulness. Share with your children how your faith has sustained you through tough times, emphasizing the importance of relying on God in both good and challenging moments.
Prioritize Family Worship:
Set aside time for family worship, whether it involves reading the Bible, praying together, or engaging in discussions about faith. This helps reinforce the importance of God in the family and fosters a sense of unity and trust.
Celebrate Spiritual Milestones:
Acknowledge and celebrate spiritual milestones in your children’s lives. Whether it’s a decision to follow Christ, baptism, or other significant moments, use these occasions to reinforce the importance of trusting in God’s plan for their lives.
Model Patience and Perseverance:
Teach your children the virtues of patience and perseverance by modeling these qualities in your own life. Show them how trusting in God’s timing and persevering through challenges leads to personal growth and spiritual maturity.
Focus and Trust in God will help us remain steadfast
By intentionally incorporating these practices into your role as a father, you can exemplify steadfast faith and trust in God, fulfilling the principles outlined in Isaiah 26:3. This not only strengthens your own relationship with God but also lays a foundation for your children to develop their own deep and steadfast trust in Him.
Focus and Trust as expressed in Today’s Devotional:
Today’s Devotional speaks to how today’s verse “is one of the Old Testament’s most beloved verses” as it speaks to pathway to peace through “remaining focused on God.” It points us to the context of this verse which helps us to better understand it. Today’s Devotional shares how “Israel was anticipating the Day of the Lord, when God would rain down judgment upon His people’s enemies” in the midst of their current situation even though their “circumstances were full of turmoil” but thanks to God they “had no reason to be anxious.”
Firstly, let’s be the dads who when face with tough situation and turmoil don’t focus on the situation but instead keep our focus and trust on God! Secondly, let’s be the dads who focus on God’s greatness rather than the troubles, trials, and challenges we are facing! Finally, let’s be the dads who realize that our battle isn’t against flesh and blood but rather powers and principalities of this dark world!
Focus and Trust on God rather than the battle:
Today’s Devotional points to how we are in a battle. Let’s keep our focus and trust on God so that the powers and principalities don’t “take our minds off of the God who of our salvation.” Let’s consider these verse that Today’s Devotional calls out:
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
Ephesians 6:10-18
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Resist the Devil and he will flee – Focus and Trust God
Today’s Devotional points to how “anything the devil can do to make us doubt God’s love, Christ’s sufficiency, and the power of the Holy Spirit, he will do.” The pathway to peace, not the kind the world tries to sell you but perfect peace requires that we keep our focus on God! So “today, before heading into battle, ” let’s be the dads who “focus our minds on the great and precious promises of God by which” we can and will be kept in the perfect peace of God!
It is in the way of truth that real peace is found.
CHARLES H. SPURGEON
